why I drink soy milk

Okay, seeing as people are getting into the nitty-gritty of their vegan ways, I guess I should follow suit. Plus, it's excuse to post a sketch instead of my dinner. :p

I grew up in a very british-styled household, at least concerning food. My mother was the master of scalloped potatoes, pork chops, beef stews, rich cakes, yorkshire puddings, casseroles of every flavour, you name it. I don't think I ever really took to it (except maybe the potatoes), so when we eventually started living in a communal household with some hippies and midwives and professors and nerds, all of a sudden food came alive. Every night all 11+ of us (plus a rotating roster of semi-permanent and always welcome houseguests) would sit down at this HUGE round oak table they'd gotten in the Phillipines to a spread that just filled the senses with it's love and variety and interest. I don't think we could do a meal without having at least 7 or 8 various optional dishes; tapenades, marinated seasonal vegetables, dips and spreads, homemade breads, always a soup, and always a gigantic salad bowl with greens from the garden and a homemade vinaigrette or two on the side.

So I kind of fell in love with food there, and was vegetarian pretty much the moment I stepped in the door. That was at twelve or so, and then at sixteen I decided to climb the horse and go all the way vegan! I made it a year, and I'll be honest - I couldn't let go of Sour Skittles completely, and my nutrition was probably lacking around the edges. But it felt really really right.

After that year passed I got busy. School got hard, I think I accidentally ate a slice of pizza, and veganism was shelved for a long long time. And it always kind of tickled the back of my mind, like I was really only eating yogurt and eggs because they were cheap and healthy and not because I really enjoyed them. So I was thrilled when I realized this summer that YES I have time to soak beans again and YES I have a few extra bucks to spend on supplements, and I CAN BE VEGAN AGAIN (thank all that is soaked in tamari!).

So yeah, it really comes down to, this is who I am, this is how I like to eat. I love animals and I'm vehemently against the farm industry, but I haven't seen Earthlings or any of those movies and don't really care to. I'm just happy (and my soul rests a lot easier) knowing that my footprint is smaller for the way I choose to eat, and plus, food like this just tastes better, you know? :)

Edit: I saw Earthlings and it disturbed the bejeezus out of me, which is pretty much why I didn't want to see it. hmm. Still glad it exists, though.